Wilson finds Baghdad a little scary

While two of the top U.S. officials in Iraq are testifying in Washington, D.C., in front of members of Congress about the war, U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson is in the Middle Eastern country getting a first-hand look at the conditions there.

Wilson of St. Clairsville is the only Democrat among seven House members on the Iraq trip.

The contingent landed Wednesday in Kuwait after 13 hours in the air. It was then another 1 1/2 hours in the back of a C-130 to Baghdad.

“Baghad’s a little scary,” said Wilson, D-6th, during a 20-minute telephone interview today from that city with The Vindicator. “I’m wearing a flak jacket and a helmet. When we were in the air, there were two helicopters with us and several other helicopters passed us by.”

Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, are testifying this week about the war in Congress.

“We can always read what they said,” said Wilson, whose district includes Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning. “We’re trying to find out what’s really going on.”

Seeing what’s happening in Iraq first-hand is more important than hearing testimony, he said.

Wilson voted in favor of requiring President Bush to begin withdrawing troops in Iraq with most of them home by April 1, 2008. Another vote on funding the war in Congress is approaching.

For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator or vindy.com